At some day before the next hockey game, when you have a couple hours, go to a 'safe' place say in your neighbourhood and practice photographing (I didnt say shoorting for obvious reasons..lol) cars driving fastish.

If bright daylight, set ISO at 200 or 400, if not so bright, ISO 400 to 800, if dim, ISO 1000 to ISO 1600.

Next, set aperture to widest on lens.

Let the shutter speed adjust based on that, this way you get the fastest shutter speed that the ISO and aperture you set will allow, based on metering.

Practice cars passing as 'static' shots i.e. capture them as they pass a specific point, without panning the camera.

Alternate this with panning the camera to the moving cars.

This way, you get practice at shooting specific points and the effect on freezing the subject, and when panning you get practice freezing the movement, when following the action.

Check the effect of the various shutter speeds the camera chooses, on the freezing of the action.

You can then let the ISO 'float' and set specific shutter speeds i.e. minimum 1/250 sec, preferably 1/500 sec or 1/1000 sec, that should be enough.

See the effect of the those settings on the freezing of the action.

Also, for a few to compare, set low shutter speeds like you used in the hockey game and see what happens to the freezing of the action, you most probably will see quite a bit of blurred shots.

As other noted, for these shots, set AFC- Dyanmic focusing.

This will give practice in shooting fast action (dont think anyone will think you are up to anything unusual.......

I have never shot hockey, have shot soccer, but the movements in hockey are obviously ad hoc back and forth, whereas cars are one directional speed, so some adaption for hockey will be needed, but at least its a suggested start.

Just a suggestion.......

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.....Just from an amateur......'Sometimes it's to your advantage for people to think you're crazy.”